The ocean meets the beauty
by HolyMaiden24
Summary: In which Belle meets an unusual girl who carries the promise of adventure and understands the desire for it, but there is far more to her than what is on the surface (including that odd companion of hers). Crossover of Moana and Beauty and the Beast.


**This was something I did for fun, though it was something that I gradually worked on and off on since May. I've had some fun distractions.**

 **How this crossover is possible is for the reader to decide. Anything can happen the world of Disney and fan-fiction.**

 **I do have a word of caution:**

 **I'm trying to keep in mind what time period this would have taken place and what sort of people I am writing based off how they were in the Beauty and the Beast film. I can imagine some uneasiness towards people who would seem unfamiliar to those villagers and of course we have Gaston being... well,** _ **Gaston**_ **. And we are still dealing with these sorts of issues today, even if it doesn't seem like it to some people. I didn't want to go over the top with any of it, but it was something that I felt had to be acknowledged (plus I could be wrong about something here).**

 **I am writing this with no intention to directly offend anyone and I hope you still can enjoy this crossover.**

* * *

It was yet another uneventful day in the village, or so it had first seemed. Had Belle looked up from her book then she would have been aware that the townsfolk were staring at someone else and whispering behind their back instead of her. Had she not been lost in the story, then she would have seen the looks of confusion and some odd yelps from a few squeamish girls. Had she not been so focused then she would have seen the girl coming towards the fountain where she currently sat with one book beside her and her basket by her feet.

"Uh, excuse me? Would you mind if I sit here for a bit?"

Belle finally looked up from her book and she completely forgot about where she just left off as she took in the newcomer. The girl before her seemed somewhere around her age but she was completely different than from the people Belle was used to seeing in her daily life. The tanned skin and dark wavy hair almost made Belle think that the girl was a Romani, but the structure of her face was not similar to their faces. She was dressed like a boy, but the red shirt that was too long for her had been tailored to fit her frame, and the modified apron with pockets was about the same length, though three things especially caught Belle's attention.

One was that the girl was carrying some sort of bag around her with an oar strapped to the back of it. Secondly was the strange necklace that was made from a beautiful blue and grey sea shell with pearls attached to the strands that held it around her neck. Third–and what made Belle flinch in alarm and nearly drop her book–was the fact that the girl had an incredibly enormous bug (almost half the size of her head) with a large head and it was slung over her shoulder as if it was taking a nap.

Well that must have explained the yelps then. Belle had never seen an insect like the one the girl had, but she didn't seem to mind that it was on her that much. Belle would have screamed if she found something of that size on her own shoulder.

"Sure." Belle finally nodded and the girl sighed in relief as she sat beside the village girl while setting her bag and oar beside her. She flexed her feet and rolled her shoulders (the bug still perfectly balanced on the one it rested on) and Belle couldn't help but finally notice the strange looks the other villagers were giving the young traveler, along with the whispers behind their hands. She could almost hear them wonder who this strange girl was.

It was similar to what Belle had to hear and yet it was different.

"A gypsy child?"

"What a disgusting looking creature on that girl's shoulder!"

"Don't let her go in any of the stores with that thing on her!"

"She'd be prettier if she was dressed like a girl."

Belle tried to return to her book and respect the other girl by not staring at her. She tried not to think on it, but then she heard the girl say "Wait a minute," and she turned to see that she had picked up Belle's copy of William Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ and stared at it with a familiarity that gave Belle a spark of curiosity.

"Have you read it before?" Belle asked.

"No, but a friend and I have seen it performed on a stage." The girl admitted with a smile. "I got to admit that neither of us were that into the way the dialogue was spoken–it was a bit hard to process and understand. I had to punch him three times to keep him from snoring. Actually," She chuckled "My favorite bit was the one where that one character gets the head of an animal and he's unaware of it the whole time. Something kind of similar happened with my friend–" her chuckle turned into a laugh "–And I couldn't stop joking about it with him afterward!"

"So your friend had an animal head stuck over his own?" Belle hoped that the girl was implying that it was a mask, but even so she found herself joining in the laughter. "I hope it wasn't for too long!"

"I couldn't keep a straight face!" The girl's laugh grew as the memory flashed in her eyes. "I felt so bad because he was trying to be nice to me but I just–!" She had to long onto herself and took a deep breath.

It was at that point the bug finally opened its eyes and Belle was shocked to see that its eyes were human-like with pupils the shade of a sort of dark brown. It was also giving the girl an incredibly annoyed look as if she had personally offended it somehow. Come to think of it, if it were possible to change a few things, the face could have been that of a human's. It was really unsettling.

"Oh don't mind him." The girl noticed Belle looking at the insect and looked at him for a second. "He's done a lot of flying for much of the early hours of the morning, so I'm letting him rest on me until we can both go on our way again. I did quite a bit of walking for the both of us." She continued, though she was sharing a glance with the insect as if they were somehow communicating with each other about this.

"Anyway," The girl set the book down and gave Belle a smile as warm and as pleasant as the color of her light brown eyes. "My name is Moana."

"Belle." The other girl smiled back with new admiration for the girl before her. "My name is Belle." She seemed so young and yet she was traveling out in the world like Belle had always wanted to do. However she had such an odd sounding name and Belle couldn't exactly figure out what nationality it came from.

At this point, Moana sighed as she took a ribbon out of one of the pockets of her apron and tied her hair out of her face. "You don't know any places where I could stop and rest for a couple of hours do you?" She asked. "At least at a place where the people are..." She struggled to find the right word. "Polite?"

Moana wasn't ignorant of the stares and reactions she had been given in this town. She had been warned that those whose skin color and features were not as similar as those who lived in the northern half of the world were rarely treated like equals, and sadly this had proven to be true in certain places that she went to. Moana considered herself lucky that this girl was quick to take a liking to her, though she had to admit that she still felt a little tense in this village and wanted to leave as soon as she could.

"You could rest at my home for a bit." Belle offered. "Papa and I won't mind."

"Are you sure?" Moana asked in concern. Belle had been quick to offer this to her, so was she not concerned about being stolen from, or shunned by the villagers for this risky gesture of kindness?

"It's alright." Belle put her book in the basket and got off the fountain. "I'm sure you want to reach your intended destination on time."

"I'm not trying to go anywhere in particular." Moana admitted as she picked up her bag and oar and slung it over her shoulder. Belle herself noticed that Moana was very careful not to accidentally knock the bug off her shoulder and even as she got up the bug was holding on as tight as he could, though as he did, she saw his eyes lock onto hers for just split second and he narrowed his eyes in an indecisive manner as if he didn't know whether or not to trust her.

 _I'm being judged by an insect._ Belle realized. _First the villagers and now the insects._

As Belle lead the way, Moana was once more subjected to the whispers and stares of the local townsfolk, and she tried her best to ignore it like she had done ever since she came to this part of the world where there was so much land but too little ocean. She missed the warmth of her part of the world and the warmth and supportive nature of the people who lived there. She missed gliding across the waters of her beloved ocean and would take it over walking on land for far too long in a heart beat.

Everything here was sometimes cold and unforgiving in both weather and in the people she encountered.

"Gypsy." A woman hissed to another woman.

"Has Belle no sense in who she's in the company of?"

"Really, you'd think her father would have taught her better."

Moana could sense a flinch in Belle's posture and a twinge of annoyance in her eyes. She didn't seem to relax until they finally reached the outskirts of the village and her features began to soften. Even Moana herself finally felt at ease and she had a feeling that she could trust this girl.

"By the way," Belle asked. "Where are you traveling to, if you don't mind me asking."

Moana hesitated at this. "Uh..."

" _Keep an eye on these dwellers of the northern part of our world."_ She had been told by the gods. _"Especially those as pale as the flesh of the inside of a coconut. They seek to claim as much of the world as they please and force their ways upon others."_

" _Try to find their flaws so that they do not try to completely claim the southern seas. The ocean cannot keep them away for too long."_

" _We must protect our identity and the heritage of our people at all costs. We cannot afford to lose them."_

" _Do not let them wipe away your identity and your memories."_

That can't be true though. Not all of these people wanted to take the world for themselves. Belle was curious and Moana could tell she was not like the others, but there wasn't a desire to oppress her or anything. She could sense a desire for adventure within this girl–something she understood all too well.

Moana opened her mouth to respond, but she was beaten to the punch by an eager cry of "BELLE!" and found herself getting roughly shoved out of the way by a hand shoving itself into her face. She almost fell over and she felt her traveling companion hold on tight before she could steady herself back upright.

"Fancy seeing you at this time!" The loud, booming voice continued and Moana spun around in annoyance (and a certain bug had to hold on for dear life yet again) to find a muscular man nearly tower over Belle and hovering around her as if he didn't want her to escape. Moana could quickly see that Belle did not like this man by the way she was trying to hold back a groan and how her eyebrows narrowed at him before she put on a mask of forced politeness. "In fact I'm glad I did because I wanted to ask if you wanted to join me at the tavern at sundown tonight." It sounded as if he expected her to be there though, like he was so sure she would not say no to him.

"I'm busy tonight." Belle firmly told the large man with the voice that made Moana uncomfortable. "And you also shoved my friend out of the way while we were in the middle of a conversation." She gave Moana an apologetic look.

Moana watched as the man turned his icy blue eyes to her and she did not like the way he looked at her as if she were a pest, or the twinge of anger in his eyes before his face gained a condescending smirk. "What, this little gypsy boy? Belle I thought you could do better in finding yourself decent company. He'll steal from you before you know it."

Moana felt herself getting annoyed and offended by this rude man before her. "I'm a girl." She flatly told him.

The man turned around in shock. There was clear embarrassment in him for making the mistake of her gender, but then he looked her over and took in her appearance. His eyes hovered a little _too_ much on certain features and Moana felt her companion's grip on her shoulder tighten in a protective manner while a part of her was worried that he would transform and give them away. The large man gave the bug a look of disgust and looked as if he was going to go for the gun he carried with him and shoot at Moana's companion before he merely shook his head.

"Well, girl," He began. "You certainly won't attract a husband if you insist on dressing like a man. I don't know where you come from, but we have standards in this part of France. Girls don't wear pants, they don't carry... whatever _that_ thing is on their shoulder, and they certainly don't wear such an unflattering and out of fashion necklace to make up for it."

Something in Moana snapped. Maybe the gossip behind her back helped build it up, and the man insulting her appearance made it bad to the point she needed to suppress it, but insulting her most prized possession–which meant the whole world to her and was more important than even more than her beloved boat–was the final straw.

"It's my grandmother's necklace!" Moana yelled as she took out the oar and slammed it into the man's stomach with as much strength as she could.

The man stumbled back from the impact, but it wasn't enough to do any serious damage. However the man gave Moana a nasty look and, before she realized it, he ran up to her and shoved her backwards. Her oar went flying out of her hands and she found herself falling–not into the green grass or dusty dirt road–but into a small pit of mud that splattered upward when she landed.

"A girl like you should know her place or else you'll be treated as anything but!" The man snarled at Moana before storming off.

"Moana!" Belle ran to the girl and quickly dropped her basket before she grabbed the girl by the wrists and carefully pulled her up in a sitting position. "Are you alright?!" Belle asked with regret in her eyes. "I am so sorry! I should have stopped him in time!" She hung her head in shame. "I should have stopped him." She repeated to herself.

She regarded herself as smarter than most of the people in this village but she was reminded that being book smart was not the same as having your eyes open to what was happening around you.

She hated herself for it.

Even though Moana had not been lying in the mud on her back for that long, she could still feel it coating her backside and her legs. It was taking all her willpower to not scream out at the man and she wouldn't dare bring herself to cry. _Warrior face, show them your warrior face._ She sang internally. "I am... I'm fine." Moana forced the words out. _I've faced monsters larger than one human. I've faced and outsmarted a giant crab._ She tried to remind herself, but she would rather face Tamatoa in all his terrifying might once again over dealing with judgmental humans for several days in a row.

As for Belle, she could sense that the girl was trying to carry as much pride as she could as if she were royalty, despite the humiliation she had just suffered from. She herself felt a strong anger at the one who caused the injustice, but she saw that she was not the only one angry at him.

Belle had no idea what the deal was with Moana's insect, but he was intelligent enough to notice what had happened. In fact, he too had been thrown into the mud and had returned to Moana's shoulder when he had the chance, but he was looking in the direction that Gaston went. There was an odd look of discomfort in his eyes before they suddenly narrowed in anger and a deep scowl appeared on his face.

Belle had no idea who Moana was or why this insect seemed so unusual in appearance and intelligence, but she had a feeling that if this insect could, then he would gone after Gaston and make him pay for what he did to his companion. There was something oddly sweet about the thought, but Belle knew that he was no match for Gaston. Those who were large easily overpowered the weak and small, even though she wished there were ways to turn that around.

If Belle had known the truth about Moana's companion, she would have felt just a small twinge of concern for the conceited man's well being.

* * *

Belle's father welcomed Moana into his house with open arms without questioning her odd (and muddy) appearance and he was more than willing to let the poor girl wash up while Belle quickly took her garments to be washed and cleaned. The girl did not have any spare clothing in her possessions and the waistline on Belle's dresses were too narrow for her, so Moana was forced to wear her yellow chemise in the meantime.

When Belle returned to the house, she found Moana standing outside in said chemise with no obvious sign that she cared about anyone seeing her in it while standing by the chicken coop. She looked at the birds with an odd melancholic way as if they reminded her of something, though Belle could only assume that perhaps she was either thinking about what happened earlier or that perhaps she was longing for her home.

" _You are your father's daughter, stubbornness and pride."_ Moana sang to herself before humming an unfamiliar tune that also clearly meant a lot to her.

Belle wanted to talk to Moana, but she decided to let her be for a bit and take care of a chore that she needed to attend to inside the house. However, it was when Belle was about to go back outside that she heard something odd and it made her stop from opening the door.

Moana was speaking in a language unfamiliar to Belle, but her voice was joined by that of a man's. The man's voice also spoke in the same language and it was a deep voice, but unlike Gaston's own deep booming voice–which gave Belle discomfort by its hidden intentions and made her ears hurt–this voice held a pleasant warmth. It was a voice that was full of life, mischievousness, and it demanded attention, but then the tone changed to care and concern when the man said something to Moana for a couple moments.

Then Belle heard Moana say something that suggested appreciation towards the man. A couple seconds passed before the man spoke again and this time Belle heard him say her name amongst the unfamiliar words. Moana responded back with a certainty in her tone and she also mentioned Belle's name in the process.

Was Moana not alone then? Was there someone she was supposed to meet in the village?

Curious as to who Moana was speaking to, Belle made her way out of her house. Before she opened the door all the way, she heard a strange and unfamiliar sound that made her hesitate in confusion, but she shook her head and went down towards the small stable... only to find Moana by the wooden fence with only the chickens to keep her company.

"I just heard a man's voice." Belle told Moana. "He wasn't bothering you, was he?" She tried to play it off as if she assumed a villager stopped by.

Moana gave Belle a shocked look before shaking her head. "Oh no," She replied in Belle's language as she waved a dismissive hand. "No, no, no, no. But you just missed him."

But there was no one in sight unless he could hide, and even then there weren't many places to hide so quickly as far as Belle knew.

"I want to apologize again," Belle nervously began. "But I'm sure you're sick of hearing it. Gaston is the type who thinks so highly of himself and would never admit it when he would be wrong. I'm afraid he's just one of the many people who can't accept a woman doing something out of the ordinary, like traveling... or reading." She grimaced. "He thinks he's the 'perfect human being' above everyone else. I personally don't like him for his nature and also since he can't take the hint that I'm not interested in him."

"I'm used to seeing men like him." Moana admitted as she rested against the wall of Belle's house. "But it doesn't mean it makes me feel alright about about what I learn about this part of the world." She sighed. "Where I come from... where I come from, women are treated like equals. They are appreciated for their hard work and some are even better at tasks expected to be done by men then the men themselves. Some have even been great chiefs that have lead many islands to great prosperity. Its not easy, but when we prove ourselves, we earn that respect."

"Its not the same here." Belle admitted. "I would give anything to go out and have an adventure in the world. I would give anything to see your homeland."

"Even if I could, I can't." Moana shook her head. "The g–those who protect us don't trust those who aren't a part of where I live. At least not right now." She quickly added before pausing.

"You know, my friend was a little like that man once." She told Belle. "In the end he was just insecure and desired the love and affection that was denied to him. He tried to fill that void by doing many deeds to win the love of the people and he made mistakes along the way but he knew when he was wrong and he was strong enough to admit it. He's a good person at heart." Moana smiled.

"I highly doubt Gaston is capable of apologizing for what he did." Belle scowled. "He thinks I should conform into something I don't want to be. I don't want to give up my love for reading to please everyone else."

Moana had a melancholic smile as if she remembered something. "I was like that too. I tried, but I couldn't get rid of who I was." She then looked Belle in the eye. "If someone is willing to open their heart to you and be humble, your opinion may change. There's no telling what their story is or what is beyond the surface. I had to learn that with my friend, but I also know that if someone defines who they are by how they want to appear towards others, and they want to appear flawless, they might not be able to find happiness. And trust me, I've faced way worse than one man who mistakes me for a boy and shoves me into the ground. You deserve much better company than him."

Moana closed her eyes for a moment while Belle pondered her words. Moana wasn't sure, but she could sense something nearby that made this place special. It was somewhere beyond the beautiful landscape and hills, within the forest. She didn't feel a pull towards it, but she wondered if it was something that needed to be checked out. She did hear word that there were places in the world where magic and gods had left their mark.

That reminded her–she opened her eyes to look for the insect, but he had vanished from his hiding place. She quickly looked around but there was no sign of him.

* * *

It was still too early for the tavern to be filled to the brim with customers, but there were quite a few who came in for a quick drink before heading home. The sun had finally set and the taps were already flowing.

Those who came in early listened to Gaston boast of one of his latest kills and how he took the creature down before gesturing to one of the spots where the head would be mounted while declaring what sort of feast could be made out of the creature's meat. All of the tavern patrons cheered, but none as much as the squat little man who seemed to follow Gaston wherever he went.

"You've killed so many creatures that you must have a large list of 'em!" One man declared. "You must have faced every beast in all of France!"

"Perhaps not quite yet, but I will before I draw my last breath!" Gaston grinned as he threw his arms out. "Give me any animal of monster from this world and I will take him down before I meet my maker at last!"

The men cheered and lifted their mugs to the hunter, but then a deep laugh of disbelief broke through the cheers. All eyes looked around in confusion until they saw a figure hiding in the shadows in one corner of the bar. He was practically bending over the table while holding a mug of ale in one hand and his massive frame bobbed up and down with each laugh.

He took a few breaths before he could say a word, though he was still chuckling in between his words. "I'm sorry, but _any_ animal from this world?!" He snorted as Gaston narrowed his eyes at him. "If a great three headed dog, a dragon, or even a gigantic crab were to appear in the village, you would actually be able to take them down?!"

"Of course!" Gaston boasted, despite his confusion at the man's list of beasts (though he would never admit to it or the fact that the creatures made him uneasy). This only made the man in the shadows laugh harder than before.

"Oh," The man took a breath of air as he tried to calm down and ran a hand over his face. "Oh wow! Everyone here is nuts! Thinking they can conquer the entire world and defeating anything that stands in their way!"

"Who are you?!" One of the tavern goers demanded to the man in the shadows. "Why don't you come out like a man and say that to our faces?!"

The man let out a chuckle before getting up and walked towards Gaston and the others. The moment his features came into light, everything came to a hush and a couple people backed away from him.

The man before them had a massive and very broad frame to the point that he could have been as large as two men standing side by side and it seemed that his clothing could almost barely cover up his body. In fact it looked like one wrong move could at least make his dark green shirt burst off his upper body. His coloring was near identical to the strange girl who came in the village earlier today and his tangled mane of dark hair had been tied back. His facial features that included a large mouth, a nose that had more width than length, and beady dark brown eyes under thick brows were so unnatural that (at least to these narrow minded men) he almost seemed more like an animal than a man.

There was something almost inhuman about him that made a few folks uneasy.

"Oh wow." The man repeated himself in a dull monotone but he had a huge smile as if he was mocking them all. "Everyone here is nuts. Thinking they can conquer the entire world and defeating anything that stands in their way." He grinned. "Is that all?"

"And who are you?" Gaston demanded.

"Well where I come from I could be regarded as someone similar to you." The larger man carefully responded. "Well respected and celebrated as a hero. It makes you feel good like you wouldn't believe but... well I've learned that if it gets into your head then you're going to find yourself in a bad spot. Which is why I want to call you out on that boast because you have nothing to back it up."

"Is that a challenge?!" Gaston snapped as the man's words struck a nerve in him. Instead of responding, the larger man hummed in thought.

"I've heard tales of a warrior who was able to defeat an entire army with one canon, an adventurer who was able to bring two races together in harmony despite all impossible odds... and I've especially heard tales of a navigator who was able to cross an ocean and lead people to new lands despite being so young." The man smiled with pride at that last part.

"If you're going to avoid my question then you'll leave this tavern!" The large frenchman snarled as he stomped towards the other man, who then quickly held up a hand.

"Tell you what–I want an arm wrestling match with you, and if you win then you can throw me out and claim the rare honor of defeating me. If I win then I want you to do something for me."

Gaston hesitated and then smirked as his pride and eager to show off got the best of him. He was a man of muscle and the man before him was more like a wall of flesh with hands too large to even be qualified for such a match. "That I will accept."

The tension turned into suspenseful excitement over a promising match for the villagers.

All attention went towards Gaston and the stranger as they headed to one of the tables nearby and sat down. "I'd like to use my left hand." The stranger told Gaston. "I'd like to have a bit of a disadvantage to make things interesting."

The other man merely smirked as he sat down and got himself comfortable at the table. He propped his arm up on the table as the other man rolled up his sleeve. The excitement almost came to a complete hush when the audience saw that the stranger bore some very unusual tattoos upon his arm, from his wrist and all the way down to the part where the sleeve of his shirt was rolled up, but there was no doubt that he had to have more. The tattoos were unfamiliar to all of them and only a man who was not of a normal upbringing would dare tarnish his own skin in such a way. It made the man seem more bizarre to them.

The man coughed to remind them of the fact that he was aware of the staring and that there was a match that needed to commence. "Eyes on the eyes, not the artwork." He told Gaston, who shook his head to clear his thoughts and grinned in eager anticipation.

"On the count of three!" One of the men began as both competitors readied their arms and their strength and grabbed onto each others hands. "One, two, _three_!"

Gaston immediately gripped the man's hand and began to force his arm downward. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn't realize that the man's grip was deliberately loose as he forced the arm down with all his might and brought it closer to the surface of the table.

Then the man's hand gripped the other hand and forcefully moved the arm away from one side of the table before crashing onto the other side with enough force to crack the table's surface.

A hushed silence fell upon the tavern as they stared at the interlocked hands and the now slightly cracked surface underneath them.

Gaston himself stared at his moment of defeat before looking into the triumphant dark brown eyes of the stranger, though there was a determined scowl upon his face.

"I want you to apologize to the traveler who was with the girl named Belle earlier today." The stranger began. "You know what I'm talking about, so don't deny it. And then you'll leave Belle alone because a woman who is not interested in you is not one worth pursuing. Trust me, I've been around long enough to know that you'll regret it if you do. You'll be in for one unhappy relationship."

Gaston stared at the man before his face twisted in defiant rage. "You have no right to tell me who I can and can not pursue! I'd even think that you were interested in Belle herself by the way you speak of her!"

"I'm not." The stranger calmly responded, though there was anger building up inside him. "I'm not an expert on courting, but even I know when and why a relationship might not work. And that girl you insulted earlier today? She's done far more than you could possibly imagine–more than you have accomplished in your life–and now I'm starting to wonder if–no." He shook his head and snorted as he realized just how pointless this all was. "No, she doesn't deserve an apology from _you_. Why did I even bother with this in the first place?"

"If you know what is good for you, you'll never come back to this tavern ever again! Or this village ever again!" Gaston's fury was growing. "A man like you clearly has no real power nor status to belong in so much as a farm."

The stranger's eyes flashed with anger at this insult, though it was the least of his concerns. "Ok, fine. You won't see me ever again." He stood up and rolled his sleeve back down. "I can guarantee that." He walked towards the entrance to the tavern but then paused. "Oh by the way, those people I mentioned earlier? They were all women."

The look of disbelief in the hunter's eyes was worth rubbing that in his face.

No one saw the stranger's mischievous grin as he left the building and a hunter with a wounded pride. He had a plan to get back at the man in question, but it would have to wait for a moment. It wouldn't be major, but he had a feeling that the human would one day get what was coming to him in a way that would be a lot worse than what he had planned.

But if anyone personally offended the legendary trickster demi-god from the southern seas in some way or another, then they would pay for it. Especially if it involved his favorite traveling buddy and the daughter of a bloodline far nobler than any of these simple-minded people.

* * *

For a time, Moana entertained Belle with stories from her homeland. Stories of an ocean that was alive, creatures that wore shells for armor, animal spirits that helped guide people and protect the living, gods who would punish those who would foolishly take what didn't belong to them, monsters lurking in the depths of the ocean, a crab whose habit of wearing treasures and his seductive singing couldn't hide his own insecurities or his violent nature, and a powerful trickster deity who would bring gifts to mankind.

These were tales that Belle eagerly absorbed since she never heard of them before. It made her want to see that part of the world where there were many islands and even more ocean to see. She wished that she herself had stories of her own to share.

Belle later noticed that Moana looked increasingly nervous as she ate with her and her father. When she tried to ask her, Moana just said that it was nothing, but the look in her eyes said something else.

It wasn't until later that there was a knock on Belle's door and when she opened it, she almost drew back in alarm. A man who seemed to be twice as big as Gaston stood at her door and she could see markings on his arms from where the sleeves of a large–yet also still seemingly too small for his frame–shirt had been rolled up. He also bore the same exact skin tone as Moana, as well as a wild mane of dark hair that was tied back.

Belle wondered if she was staring at some sort of god in a man's body or a giant who just happened to be closer to a human man's size because there was almost no way that he could even be human (though there was no denying that his unique features gave him a sort of attractiveness). But despite his slightly intimidating appearance, the man gave Belle a friendly smile and asked "Hi! Uh, is Moana here by any chance?"

Belle heard the sound of a chair nearly falling over and, before she knew it, Moana had jumped up and swung her arms around the man's neck (or what little he seemed to have) in less than five seconds.

Belle watched as the man's smile widened into a huge grin and he wrapped his massive arms around the girl; his very hands looked larger than Moana's head. While he seemed like someone who could have easily crushed the much smaller Moana, there was a gentleness in his action as if he were aware of his strength, but the tightness of the hug he gave back was one of affection. In Belle's imagination, it was as if a giant was holding a much smaller nymph or princess, like something out of a fairytale or an old Greek myth.

This had to be the friend Moana told Belle about. His very voice even sounded like the one Moana had conversed with.

As the two parted, the man told Moana something in that same odd language from before and whatever it was made Moana annoyed and a tad cautious. There was a smugness in whatever his reply was in their small argument, which continued for a bit until Moana finally turned to Belle.

"Would you like to get revenge on that man from earlier?"

* * *

It was in the dead of night that Gaston's tavern had been pelted with eggs by two young girls and a giant of a man who seemed to enjoy this more than the both of them combined.

Belle knew they would all get in trouble and warned the both of them, but the man reassured Belle that neither he or Moana would be caught for a very long time and that he would come to Belle's aid if she needed it. This lead to Belle promising that she would accept full blame since she wanted a reason for the two to stay out of trouble, for Gaston to leave her alone, and because their punishment would be much worse than whatever she would get.

Also because she felt like she owed Moana for not coming to her side at the exact moment she needed it. Despite Moana insisting that she didn't have to do it, Belle was adamant in that choice and threw an egg against the wall as hard as she could while imagining that she was throwing it in Gaston's smug face.

Never had the sound of eggs cracking been so enjoyable to Belle.

Of course they all had to hurry away before they could be captured and Belle could not have imagined having this much fun with a living person around her age (and not a book) for quite some time. Yet all good things had to eventually come to an end and Moana and her companion needed to leave in the darkness of the night.

"You could come with us." Moana offered to Belle with a smile when they were outside her home and she and her companion were about ready to leave.

Belle wanted so badly to accept this offer. She wanted to be part of their adventures and learn more about what they (this girl who held herself like she were a queen and her mischievous, yet kind giant of a companion) themselves had experienced. She wanted to escape this village of narrow minded people and to broaden her knowledge and experiences. She wanted to be with people who accepted her and she wanted to be free. She could finally reach out to the point that her heart was racing with excitement.

But...

"I can't." She shook her head. "I can't leave Papa behind without saying goodbye for a long, long time. I don't think I could be able to leave him just yet, no matter how much I want this."

She couldn't just abandon her father like that. This happened all too sudden for her to be ready for it.

Moana smiled in understanding and gave Belle a parting hug.

"You are more than you think you are, Belle." Moana told her. "The next time you have the chance to have an adventure, you better take it. Don't let anyone try to bring you down or tell you what to do. If you have to, then fight as hard as you can."

"Thank you." Belle smiled. "It has been an honor to meet you, Moana. I wish you and your companion a safe journey."

It wasn't until after Moana and her companion escaped into the darkness of the night and when Belle returned home that she realized something.

Moana's companion had dark brown eyes, just like that insect. In fact, the faces had an odd similarity, from the roundness to the exact shape of the eyes. Also Belle did not see that insect with Moana when she left, nor did she seemed too concerned about it.

Was it a coincidence? Or was there something more to the duo that Belle did not understand?

Elsewhere, Moana was riding a giant hawk in the night sky as it soared high above the French countryside. If she could close her eyes, she could imagine that she was back home where it was an island or an ocean below her instead of endless miles of land. She tightened her hold on the great beast and closed her eyes as his feathers brushed against her face, and he glanced back at her with a smile in his dark brown eyes.

"You think we'll ever see her again?" Moana asked.

"Do you want to?" The great hawk responded back with his deep, yet warm voice that comforted the girl.

Moana smiled. "Maybe one day, when everything dies down."

There were people here that were good at heart. They weren't easy to find, but somehow she found someone.

* * *

The next morning in Belle's village, the villagers were greeted with the sight of the tavern having all of its exterior splattered with egg yolks and egg shells, and for some reason someone wrote the word 'chicken' over and over in sloppy handwriting.

Also Gaston's gun was not working properly because egg yolk had somehow dripped down into it.

Belle had to fight the urge to laugh at the sight of the tavern and all the confused villagers, but especially over how angry and easily embarrassed Gaston had become and how he tried to hold a straight face and pass it off as a mere incident that could be fixed. It was only in the safety of her house that she could freely laugh until her stomach couldn't take it and she had tears running down her eyes.

Elsewhere, Moana was staring at the french countryside before her when she heard someone clear their throat. She turned around to see her companion giving her a smile before presenting her with a pink rose.

"How did–?" Moana began to ask.

"Eh, it doesn't matter." Her companion shrugged before moving towards her and he carefully tucked the rose behind her right ear. "I just wanted to show my appreciation to you. And roses are a pretty big deal over here." He added as he moved away to admire his handiwork. Roses were not common in the southern seas and this particular one suited Moana, even if it was not like the flowers that grew on the islands–it added to her beauty, both inside and out, and he was forever grateful that he met someone so wonderful as her.

Moana's eyes glanced at the rose as her hand touched it before she went over to give her companion a hug. "Thanks Maui." She grinned.

He cracked a grin back at her. " _You're welcome!"_ He couldn't help but sing it out.

* * *

Sometime later–after Belle was able to stay her ground against a Beast without backing down, looked within to see the good that hid beyond the surface, fought to protect all that she cared for, and ultimately found adventure and love–she had her first birthday at the castle within its wide grounds. Here she had acceptance for who she was and people she could trust with all her heart.

Yet as Belle stared at the fountain, she couldn't help but recall Moana and the bit of excitement she had brought with her. They both had so much in common, now that she realized it. They both desired for adventure and they both seemed to have found it through unusual means.

And whoever that man was that Moana traveled with... he almost reminded Belle of her Beast. He was someone who was far more than he seemed, despite appearances and how easily he looked as if he could have crushed the girl. Yet Belle had a feeling that Moana was able to stand her ground with that man (whoever he was).

There was a flash of blue and Belle glanced around to see a girl in a modest blue dress with a pink rose tucked in her wavy hair and a blue necklace as her only adornments. Dancing with her, amongst the guests, was a giant of a man with his sleeves rolled up to reveal incredible tattoos upon his skin. They danced a little faster than the others, but they were able to keep up with the lively tempo.

Belle was given an overwhelming sense of familiarity about the scene before she realized who the two were.

 _A small hand resting in another hand that was three times its own size, a large hand covered a huge area of the girl's back, another small hand barely reaching up to his shoulder._

It was just like the night in the ballroom when she knew that she was falling in love despite all possible odds.

The giant of a man suddenly picked up the girl with the blue necklace by her waist (his hands large enough to cover her entire rib cage) and just as he lifted her up at the exact moment she placed her hands on his shoulders, he spun her around in a circle around him up in the air. It made a lot of guests and staff stare at the two in shock, but the duo ignored them and they let out a laugh that blended together in perfect harmony.

Belle gasped as her prince turned to look at her with a questioning gaze. "Is something alright?" He asked.

"It's her." Belle gasped as she turned to Adam. "Its Moana! She's here!" She grinned.

And before Adam could ask any further (or wonder how someone snuck into the castle grounds without his knowledge), Belle left his side, grabbed her skirts, and hurried to Moana and her companion as fast as she could. The girl turned her head in Belle's direction when her companion finally came to a stop and she cried out "Belle!" Her companion turned his head to see the girl in gold and he smiled as he set Moana down so that she could hurry to Belle with open arms.

Both girls collided against each other as they crashed into a big hug.

"I was hoping I would meet you again someday!" Belle laughed. "You won't believe what has happened since you left!"

"Oh yeah?" Moana grinned. "I'd like to hear everything!"

* * *

 **Now here's a fun little bonus for my readers, including fans of the sparkling crab that is Tamatoa:**

Tamatoa stared down in annoyance at the man who was shouting in french while aiming some sort of weapon at him. He tapped the tip of one of his legs against the ground as he tried to figure out what to do with the annoying human who clearly had no idea what he was up against and didn't have a plan of attack. At least Maui was a lot more clever than this guy.

A gun shot rang out and one of the bullets of Gaston's gun hit a treasure on Tamatoa's back, causing it to go flying off.

Tamatoa's eyes bulged in anger and he slammed a claw down upon Gaston before the man had so much as a chance to scream.

There was a pause.

Then Tamatoa smirked.

"I guess no one is stupid enough to shoot at Tamatoa's treasure and pay the price for it like Gaston." He chuckled before looking at the reader. "Ah come on, he had it coming. Between the two of us, I'm not the one who acts like a crazy stalker."

* * *

 **Like I said, this was for fun.**

 **Hopefully you guys know which Disney women Maui is referring to. I'm sure they would have won his respect and especially Moana's respect.**

 **Also I don't own any of the songs. They belong to Disney.**


End file.
